XenSource kicks off XenEnterprise

Open source virtualization company XenSource is launching XenEnterprise, its first virtualization package based on Xen 3.0.

XenEnterprise is a virtualization product for Linux that allows users to deploy and manage both Xen and its guest operating system servers.

Xen uses a concept called paravirtualization to create virtualized guest operating systems on x86 servers and consolidate Windows Server and legacy operating environments such as NetWare.

XenEnterprise features guest installers, physical to virtual migration tools and a management tool kit. It can use both Intel’s VT and AMD’s SVM enabled processors. XenSource claims that Xen has 10 times less overhead than products like VMware’s GSX server.

Both Red Hat and Novell have plans to integrate Xen into their Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10. (See “Red Hat lays out plans for virtualization”; and “Novell preps users for move to Linux”.)

XenEnterprise is presently in beta test and is expected to ship this summer.

The company XenSource shipped the XenOptimizer application last year. One of its partners, Sun, is working on making Solaris on x86 work as a guest operating system under Xen.